Axis (film)

Axis is a 2017 drama film written by and starring Emmett Hughes. The film marks the feature film directorial debut of Aisha Tyler, who raised funds for the project through a Kickstarter campaign.[1] The film premiered at the 19th annual Sarasota Film Festival in April 2017.[2]

Axis
Film poster
Directed byAisha Tyler
Screenplay byEmmett Hughes
Story byEmmett Hughes
Stephen Morrissey
Produced byR. Vaughn Gill
Vertel Scott
Barry Sonders
Aisha Tyler
StarringEmmett Hughes
Emily Bett Rickards
Amber Nash
Paula Malcomson
Jonathan Sadowski
Jean-Luc Bilodeau
CinematographyLowell A. Meyer
Edited byJohn Quinn
Aisha Tyler
Music bySilversun Pickups
Production
company
Hot Machine
Distributed byGiant Interactive
Release date
April 7, 2017
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Premise

On the day he is set to star in a career-changing film, an Irish actor with a self-destructive past confronts a series of events that threaten his sobriety, his loved ones, and his life.

Cast

Development

Background

Having worked together in 2015 to produce the Gaelic language short film Ar Scath le Cheile, written by and starring Hughes and directed by Tyler,[1] the pair decided to collaborate on a full feature length film, with Hughes again writing and starring, Tyler directing and both of them acting as producer.[3]

Kickstarter Campaign

Tyler launched a Kickstarter campaign in April 2016.[3] Part of her motivation for using Kickstarter as a means to raise funds for the project was the limited time scale she had available. With a short break available in her schedule in 2016, Tyler wished to bypass the lengthy process of studio funding, and get her project moving as quickly as possible.[4] The campaign initially aimed to raise $150 000 in order to greenlight the project, secure cast and crew and begin the ADR process, which would enable Tyler to approach additional funding sources for assistance. Overall, the campaign raised over $193 000.[3]

Production

The film was shot in Los Angeles.[5] Filming began on May 28, 2016 and took place over the following seven days.[3] The film was shot almost entirely from inside the principal character Tristen's (Hughes) car, which allowed Tyler to shoot the film, in her words, "like a play" - recording the whole script daily.[3] The additional voice dialogue provided by the rest of the cast was recorded prior to filming,[3] both in person and remotely.[6]

Release

The film premiered at the 19th annual Sarasota Film Festival on April 7, 2017, where it competed in the "Independent Visions" section of the competition.[5] Tyler also took part in the festival's "In Conversation With.." series.[5] It was also an official selection of the 18th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival in April 2017, where Tyler was honored with the "Artist of Distinction Award"[7] and the film was awarded the "Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking:Feature Film" award at the festival.[7]

Axis was released via video-on-demand on April 10, 2018.[8]

Awards and nominations
Award / Film Festival Category Result Ref
Nashville Film Festival New Directors Competition: Aisha Tyler Nominated
[9]
Sarasota Film Festival Independent Visions Award Nominated
[10]
Newport Beach Film Festival Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking: Feature Film Won
[7]

References
  1. McNary, Dave (April 12, 2016). "Aisha Tyler to Make Feature Directing Debut on Kickstarter-Funded 'Axis'". "Variety". Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  2. "Sarasota Film Festival Announces Opening and Closing Night Films". "Broadway World". March 10, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  3. Tyler, Aisha. "Axis". "Kickstarter". Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  4. Husband, Andrew (April 26, 2016). "Aisha Tyler On 'Archer,' Not Knowing What Boredom Is, And Directing Her First Feature Film". "Uproxx". Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  5. Gerard, Jeremy (March 10, 2017). "Diane Lane, Barbara Kopple, Rory Kennedy, and Aisha Tyler Set For Sarasota Film Fest". "Deadline Hollywood". Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  6. Long, Christina (December 28, 2017). "Aisha Tyler Talks About Her Directorial Debut, 'Axis,' And The Rewards Of Ambiguous Filmmaking". "Uproxx". Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  7. "Annual Newport Beach Film Festival Announces Award Winners". "Newport Beach Film Festival. April 28, 2017. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  8. Tyler, Aisha (April 10, 2018). "Aisha Tyler's Guide to Recovering From Disaster". "Talkhouse". Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  9. "Nashville Film Festival Announces Competition Features". Nashville Film Festival. March 9, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  10. Kipling, Kay (March 14, 2017). "Sarasota Film Festival 2017 On Its Way". "Sarasota Magazine". Retrieved July 4, 2018.
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